The Framework
The Healthy People Curriculum Task Force (Task Force), an interprofessional body established by the Association for Prevention Teaching and Research (APTR) in 2002, developed the Framework and formally updates it through a five-year review and revision process. The Task Force was originally convened to support a Healthy People 2010 objective that aimed at increasing the inclusion of core clinical prevention and population health content in health professions training. Over the past two decades, the Framework has shaped curricula, informed curricular guidance documents, and influenced accreditation standards across health disciplines.
The Framework serves as both a curriculum guide and an organizing tool to facilitate consistency across health professions programs while allowing for flexibility in how content is adapted to the needs of different disciplines. It provides:
The Framework serves as both a curriculum guide and an organizing tool to facilitate consistency across health professions programs while allowing for flexibility in how content is adapted to the needs of different disciplines. It provides:
- A content outline compatible with a range of learning outcomes and competencies.
- A structure for organizing, monitoring, and evaluating curricula across health disciplines.
- A resource to promote interdisciplinary collaboration within and among health professions.
Rationale
Improving the nation’s health and achieving the objectives of Healthy People requires all health professionals to understand and apply principles of prevention and population health throughout their education and professional practice.[1] Collaboration across disciplines and participation in interprofessional teams are essential to addressing emerging health challenges. Teaching and learning clinical prevention and population health is strengthened through an interprofessional education approach.[2] Interprofessional team-based health care—delivered by intentionally created workgroups who share responsibility for a group of patients or populations[3]—is facilitated by the early development of relevant knowledge, skills, and attitudes during health professions education.
The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the critical role of health professionals in advancing public health, implementing effective prevention strategies, and strengthening interprofessional collaboration. It also exposed new vulnerabilities, underscoring the urgency of addressing the social, environmental, and systemic factors that shape health outcomes. A more effective and sustainable health care system relies on an educated workforce equipped with the knowledge and skills to:
Improving the nation’s health and achieving the objectives of Healthy People requires all health professionals to understand and apply principles of prevention and population health throughout their education and professional practice.[1] Collaboration across disciplines and participation in interprofessional teams are essential to addressing emerging health challenges. Teaching and learning clinical prevention and population health is strengthened through an interprofessional education approach.[2] Interprofessional team-based health care—delivered by intentionally created workgroups who share responsibility for a group of patients or populations[3]—is facilitated by the early development of relevant knowledge, skills, and attitudes during health professions education.
The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the critical role of health professionals in advancing public health, implementing effective prevention strategies, and strengthening interprofessional collaboration. It also exposed new vulnerabilities, underscoring the urgency of addressing the social, environmental, and systemic factors that shape health outcomes. A more effective and sustainable health care system relies on an educated workforce equipped with the knowledge and skills to:
- Understand and apply population health principles at both individual and community levels.
- Collaborate within interprofessional teams to promote health, prevent disease and injury, and enhance preparedness and response during public health crises.
- Engage with public health systems through practice-based contributions that support data-informed policy and decision-making.
- Demonstrate agility in responding to emerging public health challenges and threats.
- Improve health outcomes across all populations.
Curriculum Recommendations
The Framework is designed to be applicable across a broad range of health professions and health-related disciplines beyond those formally represented on the Task Force, such as social work, health informatics, health law, and environmental engineering. To advance the integration of clinical prevention and population health into health professions education, the Task Force recommends that all health professions education programs:
The Framework is designed to be applicable across a broad range of health professions and health-related disciplines beyond those formally represented on the Task Force, such as social work, health informatics, health law, and environmental engineering. To advance the integration of clinical prevention and population health into health professions education, the Task Force recommends that all health professions education programs:
- Embed clinical prevention and population health content throughout curricula, to ensure students gain a solid foundation in disease prevention, health promotion, and public health principles.
- Align standardized exams, certification criteria, and accreditation standards with appropriate domains and topic areas of the Framework to ensure population health competencies are clearly defined and consistently evaluated.
- Assess student competency in interprofessional collaborative practice, ensuring learners apply population health principles effectively in diverse care settings.
- Enhance interprofessional educational experiences by incorporating cross-disciplinary training that fosters collaboration among medical, public health, behavioral health, and social services professionals.
- Incorporate digital health innovations including telemedicine, population health informatics, artificial intelligence, and predictive analytics into coursework and experiential learning.
- Adopt diverse, evidence-based teaching methodologies, such as service-learning, case-based and problem-based learning, and simulation training.
Framework Revisions
The Curriculum Framework was first published in 2004 and undergoes revision every five years. The current version is the fourth revision of the Framework published in 2020, and features a greater emphasis on social determinants of health (SDOH) and health equity. A new domain addressing mental and behavioral health was added and illustrative examples were updated.
The Curriculum Framework was first published in 2004 and undergoes revision every five years. The current version is the fourth revision of the Framework published in 2020, and features a greater emphasis on social determinants of health (SDOH) and health equity. A new domain addressing mental and behavioral health was added and illustrative examples were updated.
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4th revision: 14 New or Revised Topic AreAS
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Fifth Revision (2026)
This fifth revision incorporates significant updates informed by lessons learned during the COVID-19 global pandemic. Over the course of one year, 47 faculty representatives from across the health professions collaborated in four dedicated workgroups to update the content. The Task Force then refined the Framework through multiple stages of review. Final edits will be incorporated following a public comment period. Educators are encouraged to review and align their curricula with the updated Framework and tailor the content to the needs and readiness of learners.
Key Enhancements
The updated Framework features expanded content across multiple domains, with streamlined Illustrative examples from previous versions now embedded directly into the curriculum content. Notable improvements include:
This fifth revision incorporates significant updates informed by lessons learned during the COVID-19 global pandemic. Over the course of one year, 47 faculty representatives from across the health professions collaborated in four dedicated workgroups to update the content. The Task Force then refined the Framework through multiple stages of review. Final edits will be incorporated following a public comment period. Educators are encouraged to review and align their curricula with the updated Framework and tailor the content to the needs and readiness of learners.
Key Enhancements
The updated Framework features expanded content across multiple domains, with streamlined Illustrative examples from previous versions now embedded directly into the curriculum content. Notable improvements include:
- Expanded emphasis on non-clinical factors contributing to health outcomes and health care access.
- Enhanced behavioral health domains addressing stress, trauma, resilience, mental health access, and clinician well-being.
- Greater integration of digital health technologies, including telehealth and data analytics.
[1] Institute of Medicine (US) Committee on Educating Public Health Professionals for the 21st Century. (2003). Who Will Keep the Public Healthy? Educating Public Health Professionals for the 21st Century. Washington, DC: National Academies Press.
[2] Institute of Medicine (US). (2015). Measuring the Impact of Interprofessional Education on Collaborative Practice and Patient Outcomes. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.
[3] “IPEC Core Competencies.” Interprofessional Education Collaborative, 2023. https://www.ipecollaborative.org/core-competencies
